Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-245596 discloses a construction where a driven-side rotational member (i.e., rotor in the document) disposed within a drive-side rotational member (i.e., housing in the document) is connected to a camshaft by a center bolt in a state where the driven-side rotational member is in contact with a front bushing, a vane rotor and a rear bushing in a rotation axis direction.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-245596, a control valve mechanism is constituted by a spool which is slidably movably supported in a direction along the rotation axis in a state where the spool is externally fitted to the center bolt. The control valve mechanism is constructed so that hydraulic oil is supplied from an inlet oil passage provided at the rear bushing.
In the known valve opening and closing timing control apparatus, supply and discharge of hydraulic oil relative to an advanced angle chamber and a retarded angle chamber changes a relative rotational phase between a drive-side rotational member and a driven-side rotational member. An opening and closing timing of an intake valve or an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine is specified accordingly.
In the valve opening and closing timing control apparatus including the control valve mechanism at the inner portion of the driven-side rotational member as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-245596, the oil passage for supplying the hydraulic oil to the control valve mechanism is provided at a region from the camshaft to the driven-side rotational member. The driven-side rotational member also includes an intermediate member.
The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus disclosed here exhibits a different construction compared to other known valve opening and closing timing control apparatus such as described above.
According to one aspect, the valve opening and closing timing control apparatus includes a drive-side rotational member rotatable about a rotation axis synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, a driven-side rotational member rotatable about the rotation axis and arranged at an inner side of the drive-side rotational member, with the driven-side rotational member being integrally rotatable with a camshaft for opening and closing a valve of the internal combustion engine; an intermediate member abutting against the driven-side rotational member; and a mounting member in which is located a supply void arranged on the rotation axis and to which fluid is supplied during operation of the valve opening and closing timing control apparatus. The mounting member penetrates through the driven-side rotational member and the intermediate member and possesses an outer surface, with the mounting member connecting the driven-side rotational member and the intermediate member to the camshaft when the valve opening and closing timing control apparatus is mounted at the camshaft. An advanced angle chamber and a retarded angle chamber are provided between the drive-side rotational member and the driven-side rotational member, and a control valve mechanism is arranged with the same axis as the rotation axis. A flow passage is provided to allow the fluid to selectively flow into the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber from the supply void or flow out from the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber via the control valve mechanism, such that the fluid flowing into the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber changes a relative rotational phase between the drive-side rotational member and the driven-side rotational member. The intermediate member includes an inner peripheral surface possessing an inner diameter, with the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate member contacting the outer peripheral surface of the mounting member. The flow passage extends from the supply void to the advanced angle chamber and to the retarded angle chamber. The flow passage includes an outlet flow passage provided at the intermediate member, with the outlet flow passage being positioned along a radial direction to direct the fluid which is supplied to the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate member to the advanced angle chamber or the retarded angle chamber.
The outlet flow passage may reach the outer peripheral surface from the inner peripheral surface.
Accordingly, the fluid may be supplied between the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate member and the inner peripheral surface of the drive-side rotational member. The fluid is supplied as lubrication oil between the intermediate member and the drive-side rotational member to thereby achieve a smooth relative rotation.
According to another aspect, a valve opening and closing timing control apparatus comprises: a drive-side rotational member rotatable about a rotation axis synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, a driven-side rotational member rotatable about the rotation axis and arranged at an inner side of the drive-side rotational member, with the driven-side rotational member being integrally rotatable with a camshaft for opening and closing a valve of the internal combustion engine, an intermediate member in contact with the driven-side rotational member, and a mounting member passing through the driven-side rotational member and the intermediate member. The mounting member connects the driven-side rotational member and the intermediate member to the camshaft when the valve opening and closing timing control apparatus is mounted at the camshaft. The mounting member includes an interiorly located supply void positioned so that the rotation axis passes through the supply void. An advanced angle chamber and a retarded angle chamber are located between the drive-side rotational member and the driven-side rotational member, and a control valve mechanism is arranged with an axis the same as the rotation axis. A flow passage is configured to allow a fluid to selectively flow into the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber via the control valve mechanism or flow out from the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber, with the fluid flowing into the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber changing a relative rotational phase between the drive-side rotational member and the driven-side rotational member. The intermediate member includes an inner peripheral surface that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the mounting member. The intermediate member includes a first side wall and a second side wall positioned at opposite axial ends of the intermediate member, with the first side wall of the intermediate member lying in a first plane and the second side wall of the intermediate member lying in a second plane. At least a part of the flow passage is provided at the intermediate member between the first and second planes and extending along a radial direction to direct the fluid which is supplied to the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate member to the advanced angle chamber or the retarded angle chamber.